Cranberry Soda
by snowblinded
Summary: "...if you were a drink, I'd think of you more like soda." Gaara asks, "I hope you're not implying I'm 'bubbly.'" "No," Neji answers. "More like... once I have a sip, I want to keep drinking it."


A clip of a plot bunny that never came to be.

* * *

"Are you cold?"

Weary eyes glance in Neji's way. Small hands sink deeper in the black hoodie's pockets. Neji already knows the answer, but he wants to make sure. Unfortunately, his tired companion had blanked, rasping a quiet, "Huh?,"

Neji tries not to let his smile fall. After the trouble of getting the redhead out of that party, treating him for ice cream, and taking him on a romantic beach stroll, all he gets is a confused 'Huh?' This was not the evening he imagined, but this was Gaara, king of social obliviousness. He can't read a mood for three seconds, let alone understand Neji's motives. The brunet feigns a larger smile and repeats his question. "Are you cold, Gaara?"

Little bristles of red hair shake along with Gaara's head, blue eyes rolling back to the sandy path. Neji chuckles, watching as his redhead companion snaps up his hood and is met by the opposing ocean winds. They whip the material right off his choppy haircut, earning a glare from the short boy. The glare falls onto Neji as the redhead hears his laughter, though the brunet doesn't take it seriously. Gaara is all bark, no bite. Or at least Neji hopes he stays that way after the talk he has planned.

The dark water travels up the shore, peppering Gaara's red sneakers in droplets. The tide is coming in. "Perhaps we should take our walk onto higher ground," Neji suggests as his own shoes are lightly touched by the increasing waves.

"Agreed," Gaara answers, turning for the dunes.

They hop over the dug out ground and step onto the established walk way, continuing their walk on dry land. Neji listens to their feet grinding the sand into the wood, attempting to collect his thoughts. If he wants to tell Gaara the things he wants to say, he has to carefully explain. Gaara is aggressively clueless. If he doesn't understand the first time, he will avoid or deny the topic in the future. Neji can't let that happen.

The brunet takes a quick look at the redhead, noting the darkness of the boy's eye makeup. Insomnia hidden by a sloppy streak of kohl. If Sasuke had not moved, he would have flipped over Neji's choice of a boy. Never in Sasuke's (or Neji's) wildest dreams could have thought of taking an interest in a boy like Gaara. However, this is the reality. Neji wants Gaara, but Gaara is oblivious. So adorably oblivious.

Neji takes a quick check back to the redhead one more second, capturing a mental photograph. Self-cut red hair, blue eyes trapped in a ring of black, skin so pale that it earned the nickname 'Casper' from Naruto. So the boy isn't a conventional, '_Aeropostale_ ad' beauty, but he is a gem. A little ruby Neji wants to call his own. And he isn't going to get it by staying silent. He has to make a move.

"Do you want to sit?" Neji asks when he sees a secluded bench by a streetlight.

Gaara scratches his head and eyes the bench Neji's looking at. "Oh. Yeah."

The brunet holds in a disappointed sigh. Perhaps he should focus on entertaining the redhead rather than going on mental tangents. They settle on the wooden bench, now able to watch the tides storming the coast as if land and sea were at war. Neji shares the little comparison to Gaara and he responds with a weak smile. The brunet pretends to look to his left to hide his annoyance. What is up with this boy? Surely he can give a nicer reply than that...

Gaara's small hands fist the pocket material tight, awkwardly attempting to bring his arms closer together for warmth. Neji thought about asking, but knows it's useless. The redhead would only continue to say he was fine. Fine was fine, but making a move had to be fast.

A sudden dare, Neji loops his right arm around Gaara's left and scoots closer to the boy. Before he could see Gaara's reaction, he excuses himself, "Sorry, it's a little chilly, you know?"

A small pause in response worries Neji, but is relieved with a tired, "It's... okay."

Neji watches the small hands come out of their warm cave and settle on Gaara's lap. So stiff, Neji thinks.

"Are you always so serious?" The brunet jests with a squeeze of Gaara's arm.

The shorter boy squirms from the touch, but mumbles, "Are you insinuating from my appearance?"

"Most people don't consider perpetual frowns as 'happiness.'"

"Thought you said I wasn't like most people."

Neji smiles and turns his head to Gaara, catching blue eyes staring back at him. Crystal eyes of patience waiting for the reply. He contains the urge to kiss those lips and answers with all certainty, "I still stand by it."

For a moment, Neji feels a twang of synergy through him and his companion. Neither eyes break with Neji's answer, rather, they keep staring as if something was to happen. The craving for affection bares too much for Neji as he leans in, but he stops. Gaara's blushed face cuts him short. He never seen a look like that, so... _fucking cute_.

When Neji blinks, instead of the sea, he sees the night sky, stars dancing and laughing above him. He said the worst thing out loud.

"'m not cute...," is the quiet murmur from the bench where Neji's legs still hang.

"...so are," Neji whispers. Definitely, definitely is.

Neji takes his legs off the bench and begins to get up and onto the bench, looping his arm back with Gaara's once more. The brunet chalks this up as Strike One. Lesson learned, do not call the redhead 'cute.' (At least not until there's a romantic connection established.)

Gaara stares at Neji with an confused look and asks, "You.. you aren't worried I going to hurt you again?"

"No... well, maybe," Neji answers, smiling at the redhead's annoyed mouth. "Not enough to stop me from doing this. I like your unpredictability. It's refreshing." Neji nuzzles his shoulder into Gaara's as emphasis, bringing a wry smirk to Gaara's face.

It fades as quick as it appears. "I don't think there's anything 'refreshing' about me."

"I think you are."

"When I think of 'refreshing,' I think of iced tea. I rather not be compared to a beverage."

Neji grins and wipes dust off his jean leg. One new thing learnt about Gaara, he likes iced tea. The brunet looks up to the sky, softly saying, "Or at least if you were a drink, I'd think of you more like soda."

Neji imagines the serious look in Gaara's eyes as he asks, "I hope you're not implying I'm 'bubbly.'"

"No, not that. Not that _at all_," the brunet jokes. "More like..." Neji looks back down to Gaara and touches the redhead's black sleeve. Blue eyes glance down at the hand tugging at the opening and back to Neji. "Once a have a sip, I want to keep drinking it," he finishes. Neji hopes Gaara understands the context, especially with how obvious it is, but he does not. The redhead looks confused. Does Neji have to spell it out black and white?

"Gaara," he calls. The puzzled blue eyes on still on him. "I don't want _this_," he motions between himself and the redhead, "-to be a one time thing. I want to hang out with you more. I really, really lik-"

"I think you're more like cranberry juice," Gaara cuts him off. And at the most important part... nothing works out in Neji's favor.

Neji stops playing with Gaara's sleeve and puts his hand back on his lap with a sigh. He attempts to play along with their witty banter, though he is no longer in the mood. "Shall you regale me with your explanation?"

Gaara takes a deep breath. "You try to worm yourself into other drinks, taste weird, and the only people who enjoy you have severely messed up taste buds."

For a split second, Neji shuts his eyes and swears it was possible to feel the metaphorical pain of a knife to the gut. Never has a cliche seemed so relevant. That was potentially the bluntest insult Gaara has outright said to Neji and it is not what he needs at what _was_ supposed to be a critical moment of a love confession. Neji is worn out, mentally and emotionally, and ready to call it a night.

When Neji opens his eyes, Gaara looks a little concerned? That can't be right. The redhe- Gaara quietly asks, "Are you okay?" His eyes jump downward and back up. "Did...?" He pauses and starts again. "Did I hurt your feelings?"

Neji can feel his formerly dead heart restarting and pounding at his chest. It's unbelievable. Gaara actually cares. He cares! Oh God, how Neji just wants to shout it from the roof tops and dance and-

"It was a joke..." Gaara's whisper cuts through his celebratory thoughts. Before he gets a chance to explain, the once cute face of apology warps back into his serious face. "The hell you smiling about?"

"Nothing! Just..." Neji scrambles to explain. He considers re-admitting his feelings about the redhead, but Gaara won't understand. And if anything, maybe Neji should have a little fun with this...

The hand around Gaara's arm reaches for the redhead's hand and touches it, flirt-joking, "I'm glad to know how you feel about me. But really-" He squeezes the hand to Gaara's embarrassment. Neji merely cocks an eyebrow in amusement and asks, "Does cranberry soda sound so bad?"

"Yes!" Gaara exclaims, trying to take his hand away from Neji. Neji laughs as he lets go, watching the redhead almost fall off the bench. Gaara sits back properly and slaps Neji's leg, saying, "I take it back! You're more like vodka."

"A few sips will knock you on your ass?"

Finally, a single laugh comes out of Gaara. How Neji wishes he actually had a camera to capture that open expression of joy. A brief joy, it falls back into a tight-lipped straight line quick. Neji paid the consequences of calling Gaara 'cute,' but Gaara doesn't help his defense when he tries to hide his happiness like it never happened. It just makes him more precious in Neji's eyes.

"Vodka fucked up my forehead," Gaara says. "And having you another time might fuck up my head again. Or worse, your head."

Neji smirks. "I'll risk my skull for another moment with you, but what's with this 'forehead' business?" Neji was curious. Gaara doesn't seem like a black-out sort of drunk who could do something stupid in his blitzed state. Sure, the redhead was drinking a lot at the party, but Neji guessed it was because he was uncomfortable, not looking to be out of his head. Besides, he's never seen a mark on Gaara's face. Neji always wondered how could a teenager have such clear skin.

Gaara flinches as if he hadn't meant to talk about his forehead, but it was out in the open now. The redhead turns his head to Neji, his free hand reaching to brush the fuller side of his bangs to the side. A large red kanji of 'love' was tattooed into the corner of his forehead. Well. Neji definitely never noticed it before. Neji tries to touch it, but Gaara moves from the hand, letting his hair drop into place.

With a frown, Neji places his hand back on his lap and asks, "So, how'd you get it?"

"Got drunk with my uncle. He did it for me. Surprised it came out great when he was so shit-faced."

"Wait, wait," Neji stops Gaara. "You got so drunk, you got a facial tattoo?"

Gaara's trademark glare falls back to Neji. "Obviously."

"Why?"

The redhead rolls his eyes. "I was drunk."

"No," Neji shakes his head. "No, I meant, why 'love?'"

Why 'love' indeed? The brunet never pegged Gaara as a cheesy person who would get something like 'love' on themselves. However, if Gaara got something like that permanently done _on his face_, it can't be a reason as frivolous as 'Oh, I believe in love,' or some ridiculous statement like that. 'Love' has to mean something serious to Gaara to marr him permanently. And what it meant, Neji wanted to know. It could be his 'in' with the boy if Gaara actually opened up.

That isn't going to happen though. Gaara keeps quiet as if he hadn't heard Neji ask that question. Neji drops the topic. Although Neji would have loved to hear something heartfelt, who was he to try to push Gaara? If the redhead was comfortable enough to Neji, it would come out on it's own.

They both watch the ocean tides climb up the shore, arms still wrapped around the other's for warmth. Sometimes Neji let his fingers graze against Gaara's knee, though the redhead has no reaction. Finally, the thought Neji has been thinking spills from his mouth.

"Do you _really_ think I'm like vodka?"

Gaara's eyebrow raises at Neji, but descends as he shakes his head in amusement. Gaara looks back to the waves and answers, "No. At best, you're like grape juice."

Neji is comforted by the answer and asks, "How so?"

"You're nice every so often."

"But not all the time?"

Neji hears Gaara 'tsk.' "That's the cranberry talking."

The brunet smiles and nudges Gaara's shoulder. "The hell? I go from grape to cranberry again? What am I then?"

"When you're normal, you're grape. When you're weird, you're cranberry."

"So I'm a cran-grape."

Gaara shakes his head. "Or a 'crape,' though it can be misconstrued as 'crepe' or 'crap.'"

"Bet you'd be the one to purposely say 'crap.'"

A smile spreads on Gaara's face though he continues to look at the sea. "Why should I glorify your ego by calling you fancy bread?"

"It wouldn't glorify my ego, it'd only make me hungry."

Neji hears raspy laughter and almost snaps his neck to look at Gaara. His head is tossed back, eyes almost shut from the force of his laughs. And there seems to be nothing more beautiful in Neji's eyes than Gaara with a completely vulnerable expression. No tensity, no anger, no boredom. Full blossom happiness and Neji was the source of it.

Gaara's laughter fades, taking a look over at Neji. "Cranberry," he calls with a smile.

Neji's instincts take over, threading his fingers through Gaara's hair. Ignoring the sudden frown, the brunet presses his lips to Gaara's, tasting the salty mist on his mouth. This is what Neji wants. Gaara in his entirity. Every emotion, thought, movement, he wants to memorize Gaara from the inside out. And this kiss, he wants this to be the start of something wonderful.

Neji pulls away and murmurs, "Soda."

Gaara is frozen. It takes Neji a few seconds to realize the redhead isn't doing anything, but he waits. And waits. And waits. Gaara is doing nothing, but staring back at Neji with wide eyes and a frown. There's not even a blush, if anything, Gaara might have grown ever paler (if possible).

Neji wants to punch himself in the face. He wanted it to be the start of something wonderful, but seeing this reaction, he probably just destroyed something they never had.


End file.
